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Chapter– The Ailing Planet: The Green Movement’s Role
By Nani Palkhivala
Table of Contents
The Ailing Planet Extra Questions Class 11
The Ailing Planet Extra Questions Class 11
Directions– Answer The Ailing Planet Extra Questions Class 11 in about 30-40 words each.
Q.1 What do you mean by the Green Movement? Why has it caught the attention of the whole world?
Ans. Any movement which concerns itself with an ecological or environmental issue is referred to as the Green Movement. It has made people across different nations realize that they don’t own the earth. They are only taking care of it to save it for future generations. In short, man has realised his ethical obligations.
Q.2. What were the main tenets (rules) of the report issued by the World Commission on Environment and Development?
Ans. In its report, it defined the idea of development which meets the needs of the present, but does not harm the needs of the future generations. The development should not deplete (empty) the natural resources which future generations would need.
Q.3. What unique idea did the zoo authorities in Lusaka have? What did they wish to convey? What important lesson has man learnt?
Ans. The zoo authorities in Lusaka display an empty cage with a mirror where you see yourself, and read a notice, ‘The world’s most dangerous animal.’ They wish to convey how man has done the greatest harm to animals, other living species and most importantly, to the earth. The man has realised that instead of domination he must follow a system of partnership.
Q.4. The author calls the shift in perceptions a revolutionary concept and compares it to that of Copernicus. Explain the comparison in your own words.
Ans. In the sixteenth century, Copernicus proved that it is the sun which is the centre of our solar system and the earth rotates around it. This discovery not only shook people’s old age beliefs but also paved the way for new scientific theories and inventions. Likewise, people have realised that the earth is a living organism and we must save it.
Q.5. How have human actions made our earth a patient in declining health? (The Ailing Planet Extra Questions Class 11)
Ans. Thoughtless and selfish exploitation of earth’s resources and developmental activities have polluted our air and water. We have disturbed the ecological balance which has been brought about by exploitation of living and non-living resources. This has made our earth a patient in declining health.
Q.6. Which international commission was the first to deal with the question of ecology and environment? Why is it important for India?
Ans. The international commission was the Brandt Commission. It was important for us since it had a distinguished Indian as one of its members-Mr LK. Jha
Q.7. How does a ‘protein conscious’ and ‘protein hungry’ man impact the global environment? (The Ailing Planet Extra Questions Class 11)
Ans. By overfishing, and destroying the local forests for firewood, man has caused fisheries to collapse, forests to disappear and grasslands to turn into wastelands.
Q.8. Explain the term “powerhouse of evolution.” (The Ailing Planet Extra Questions Class 11)
Ans. The term refers to tropical forests which sustain life. Several species of life face extinction as a result of their destruction.
Q.9. What statistics have been furnished by the World Bank and James Speth, the President of the World Resources Institute? (The Ailing Planet Extra Questions Class 11)
Ans. The World Bank estimates that a five-fold increase in the rate of forest planting is needed to keep up with the expected fuelwood demand. James Speth says that we are losing the forests at the rate of an acre and a second.
Q.10. What realization causes endless anguish to the author and some other like-minded people in India? (The Ailing Planet Extra Questions Class 11)
Ans. In spite of the law passed by our constitution (Article 48A) to safeguard forests and wildlife in India, they are never respected nor enforced. The author gives examples of untouchability, casteism and bonded labour.
Q.11. What is the difference between the figures given by the government in its report and the actual figures? How are we heading towards a catastrophe?
Ans. The actual loss of forests is estimated to be about eight times the rate indicated by government statistics. Large areas, designated as forest land, “are already virtually treeless.” The forests are deflecting at the rate of 3.7 million acres a year.
Q.12. Which technical tools are being used by environmental scientists to study the global problems? What are their findings?
Ans. The technical tools are satellites and aerial photography used by the United Nations. It warns that the environment has deteriorated so badly that the condition is critical in 88 countries investigated.
Q.13. State some of the concerns which the author has raised about the population increase. How is increasing population going to be the main threat?
Ans. The population reached one billion in a million years, but by the 20th century, it had added 3.7 billion, increasing by one million every four days. The greater will be the poverty if the population is not controlled. Today, the total population is 7.6 billion.
Q.14. How does education impact population growth? (The Ailing Planet Extra Questions Class 11)
Ans. Education makes people realize the importance of birth control and improves their health. It leads to development and development is possible only if there is a control on the population.
Q.15. Explain how the economic gap between the rich and the poor is ever widening. (The Ailing Planet Extra Questions Class 11)
Ans. The educated and the rich have less children while the poor have more children which makes them remain poor. More children do not mean more workers, but more unemployed people. The poor remain condemned to poverty.
Q.16. What should we do if we do not want the hopes of millions to die in hutments? (The Ailing Planet Extra Questions Class 11)
Ans. Family planning is the only answer. The author even recommends that forced family planning must be given top priority if we have to stop people dying in hungry hutments.
Q.17. The environmental problems do not just signify our demise but are a passport to future. Explain. (The Ailing Planet Extra Questions Class 11)
Ans. The author is not pessimistic. Environmental problems do not mean the end of our world, but they signify a realization to save the world for the future generations.
Q.18. What is the fundamental idea and realisation in the so-called ‘New Era of Responsibility”?
Ans. The fundamental idea is that where we take an overall view of the problem, seeing the world as an integrated whole rather than a dissociated collection of parts. We must work towards survival not just of people but of the planet.
Q.19. Why does the author place a lot of responsibilities on industrialists? (The Ailing Planet Extra Questions Class 11)
Ans. They have to realize the importance of the environment and their role in it. They have to excel in environmental performance.
Q.20. What is the essence of the lines quoted from Margaret Thatcher’s speech?
Ans. The essence is that the present generation does not own the earth, they are only tenants who have to take care of it and leave it healthy for the next generation.
The Ailing Planet Extra Questions Class 11 Extra Long Question Answer:-
The Ailing Planet Extra Questions Class 11
Directions– Answer The Ailing Planet Extra Questions Class 11 in about 120-150 words each.
Q.1. Economy and environment have a common link. Both are dependent on each other for their sustenance. How?
Ans. The economy is directly linked to the environment. The earth is the biggest resource for any economic activity. Man is dependent on air, waterways, forests, fisheries and industries which, in turn, depend on mineral resources. All these are given to us by our earth. Industry exploits natural resources for its business. Likewise, the population is also one of the key resources for any economic activity.
On the one hand, human resource is needed for any trade or economic activity. On the other hand, overpopulation can be a curse. When there are more mouths to feed and not much income, then people return to nature for survival and in the bargain deplete its resources. If a man does not understand the impact of his actions, a time will come when the survival of both will become a question.
Q.2. “We have not inherited this earth from our forefathers, we have borrowed it from our children.” Justify this statement. (The Ailing Planet Extra Questions Class 11)
Ans. The man has always considered himself the lord of this earth. He has squandered the valuable resources of the planet indiscriminately. His arrogance and misdeeds have caused havoc and destruction. He believes that he has the divine right to plunder the natural wealth. The hungry population of this earth has ruined fisheries, and forests are disappearing at an alarming rate of one and a half acre per second. Grasslands and croplands are turning into deserts.
We must remember the fact that we are not the masters of this planet but only trustees. We have not inherited this earth from our forefathers but have borrowed it from our future generations. We must keep this earth in good health for them. At all costs, we have to maintain sustainable development. We must meet our present needs without harming the needs and interests of the future generations.
Q.3. ” a scorched planet of advancing deserts, impoverished landscapes and ailing environment.” How has the earth reached this stage?
Ans. Earth’s vital signs are giving dangerous signals. It is suffering badly due to man’s insatiable hunger. The principal biological systems of the earth are under pressure. Fisheries, forests, grasslands and croplands are being destroyed. In a protein-conscious world, overfishing is common.
Man’s villainy continues unabated. Overpopulation puts its own pressure on our planet. More mouths need more grains. More men mean more firewood, and more space to live. It means deforestation on a large scale. Several species of life face extinction due to this destruction. This catastrophic depletion’ of natural resources has turned our ‘living planet’ into an ‘ailing one’.
Q.4. “Poverty is a curse for both man and environ- ment. If we hope for a better future, we must eliminate poverty from our country.” Explain with reference to the information given in the lesson.
Ans. Poverty is a curse for both man and environment in a way that poverty-stricken people when they have nothing to feed the family, turn to nature for their survival, and in the bargain, deplete its resources. The hungry population of this earth attack fisheries, forests, grasslands and croplands, which results in massive destruction.
They squander the valuable resources and plunder the natural wealth willingly. We must meet our present needs without harming the planet. If we do not understand the impact of our actions, a time will come when the survival of both man and environment will become a question. For all this, we must remove poverty from the earth by educating people about population control which is the main cause of poverty.
Q.5. The author suggests that man and earth share a common bond and must learn to live in partnership with each other. Why does he say so?
Ans. Earth is the biggest resource of anything that man depends on. Both man and earth share a common bond. Man is dependent on the air, waterways, forests, fisheries which are given to him by the earth. But the man’s villainy is causing a great danger to the earth.
Overpopulation is another curse putting its own pressures on our planet. More mouths need more grains, more firewood and more space to live. The man must remember that he has not inherited the earth from his forefathers but has borrowed it from the future generation. If man does not understand the impact of his actions a time will come when it will be difficult for both man and the earth to survive.
Q.6. What is the positive shift that has come in human perceptions and what is the role of the Green Movement in bringing such a change? (The Ailing Planet Extra Questions Class 11)
Ans. There has been a gradual change in human perceptions. Man is no longer thinking with a mechanistic view, rather he has understood a holistic view that earth is a living organism in itself. There is a growing consciousness among people that the earth is an enormous planet of which we are only a part. The earth has its own metabolic needs and vital processes that need to be preserved and respected. The planet is in declining health. It is our duty to save it for future generations.
The Green Movement is a movement to save this planet from future deterioration. It has gripped the imagination of the entire human race. The movement started 46 years ago in New Zealand and since then, it has never looked back.
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